Avantra 20/25 Imaging Quark Pages

[MJNC]

Hi Folks!
I have a dilemma that y’all may be able to help me with. When I go to output film larger than 12x18 to our Avantra 20/25, all I get is 8.5x11. I can do up to 12x18 because that is the largest page size I can pull out of the preset list. I cannot get custom page sizes to stick (from Quark or Illustrator). It seems they want to put everything on the default page size that is set in the “print&fax” system preferences window. It doesn’t work with B3 size either. I am working on a dual core Mac G5, running OSX and CS2, which then goes through a Viper RIP on an old G3 running System 9.1, which then sends to the imagesetter. I have tried several PPDs. Could it be a PostScript Level 2 or 3 issue? I have been told that in order to remain current, we will soon need to update our software so that screen values will fall in correctly. But we don’t do any thing with screen values; not to the imagesetter anyway. And it used to work! Don’t know of anything that could’ve changed. Any ideas? I appreciate whatever help y’all got. Thanks!!
Regards,
mjnc

 

[VladCanada]

<< When I go to output film larger than 12x18 to our Avantra 20/25, all I get is 8.5x11>>
Your RIP falls down to DEFAULT Letter size...
Check your PS Environment through AGFASet: page params, page border, flat optimiser/ganging and so on.
Do you have Ava20 or Ava25?

 

[MJNC]

Select Set Avantra 25

Select Set Avantra 25

Hi Vlad;
Every time I send a page to the Viper Rip, the first thing it says is “Warning: This rip is not running a PSE framework”. This is because of the .ppd I’m using (I think), but for a while things were imaging just fine.
I did a find on both my Mac and the one that’s running Viper for AgfaSet and I cannot find an application with a name even similar to that.
Right now I can’t get anything to image! The RIP keeps reading “Page Marking Aborted; Increase Max Source List or Max Page List or disk space”. So I shut down Viper, reboot the machine, switch to another .ppd, and try sending again. My Supervisor thinks this is the efficient way to find a .ppd that works; to me it sounds like a lot of standing around and not much getting work done.
I appreciate your response - please don’t leave me now.
Kind Regards,
mjnc

 

[Jim-CompuDoc]

What version Viper is this?
What (exact) version of OS-X?
What is the name of the PPD(s) you are trying to use?

There was a flawed OS-X, 10.2 I think, where custom page sizes just didn't work. You had to define them (in print / printer) so they would be in the drop down list. This was fixed in 10.3 I think.

PPD's need to be created with AgfaSet. You can do it on the machine running Viper. There is info on the web on a hack to make that resulting ppd compatible with certain versions of os-x.

Remember, Viper 3.0x is OLD. OLDER than any version of OS-X. Older than Quark 6. Older than any version of indesign. Older than all PDF older then 1.3 (Acrobat 4)
Viper 1.9x is even older than that.

I can email you ppd's that work for either viper 1.9x or 3.0x with an Avantra 25.
Xitron's PPD (xitronrip.ppd) will work with any level3 (viper 3.0x) rip as far as page sizes, but it is very basic, none of the controls for the rip are there.

Feel free to email or call me.

 

[MJNC]

Avantra 20/25 Imaging Quark Pages

Hi again;
the Version of Viper is 1.9.2. The G5 is running 10.4.11. Here is a list of the .ppd’s I have tried:
AGAV020X.PPD
AGAV025X.PPD
AGFA AccuSet 800-A
AGFA AccuSet 1000-A
AGFA AccuSet 1000W-A
AGFA Avantra 25-A
Please Advise..?
If you have other .ppds that I should try, well why not? Yes, go ahead and email me. ([email protected])
Thanks,
mjnc

 

[VladCanada]

Ouch!
I would rather prefer to say 'Goodby, grandpaRIP! Rest In Peace" - to 1.9.2. PS Level 2 and to find smthg newer for a reasonable price.

 

[MJNC]

Sorry; my boss will only spend money on this if that’s all we can do. What about the .ppds you told me qbout? You got anything different than what I showed you? (Hope so)! As far as OUCH goes - tell me about it brother, I am living it every day!
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Regards,
mjnc

 

[VladCanada]

MJNC - you have what you have to have
Level3 AGFA RIPs are able to create their own .ppds for Win and Mac, but in your case most of them will not work properly with your Viper L2.
Running the AgfaSet program from another Mac you can sent some command files which you can find on one of diskettes or on Viper CD.
You are limited by Page size right now and need some Custom Page size to be created.
IMHO you have kinda conflict in page size params between RIP and Quark or Indes. Some upgrage of ur SW could create a problem in spite of developer's promisses to support old PS units.

Try antoher trick - try to cheat your Avanta: put the Film Width parameter just about 1/4" wider than real Film size you use.
Actual Avantra's imageable area is 6 millimeters (3mm from left and right sides) less then Film size.
I've met that problem before - job was just 1 mm wider then Imageable area and ... in some cases RIP flushed that job or Avantra used default page size like LETTER size.